6 Bad Habits Ruining Your Sleep

Have you ever lay down in bed longing for that deep, sound sleep but it just doesn’t happen? Even though you are very tired, you still lay there wide away, minutes passing as you toss and turn? Well we experience this as well, and did some research to help us, and you, sleep better. Here are 6 bad habits that could be affecting your sleep.

Exposure to blue light

Do you ever lie in bed scrolling through your newsfeed or reading one last article on your phone before you attempt to sleep? This could actually be affecting your ability to sleep.The reasoning: Blue light!

Electronic devices emit this light known as blue light and we are constantly exposed to it. Unfortunately, one of the side effects is, it causes our body to believe it is in fact daytime and disrupts our circadian rhythm. Studies have even shown that this light effects your body the same way caffeine would. So, it is no surprise that the light emitted by our smartphones or other electronic devices cause our sleep disturbances.

Our advice? Try to put your devices down an hour before you go to sleep. If this isn’t an option, most devices have a built-in setting which allows you to use a blue light filter, which adapts to the time of day. There are even apps which can alter the colour of your screen.

Too much caffeine

Do you rely on coffee to help you get through the day? Does the thought of cutting out caffeine from your diet scare you? Well don’t panic, you don’t have to go this far to get a good night’s sleep. But it is recommended to avoid caffeine after a certain time. This obviously varies from person to person, but keep in mind that caffeine stays in your system for up to 8 hours!

Alcohol before bed

While a small glass in the evening can make for a nice treat, it can also disturb your shut-eye. Think back to the last time you were drunk. How was your sleep? Deep and sound, or restless? Alcohol disrupts REM sleep, and that makes up for 25% of our sleep which is crucial to our bodies recovery processes. Therefore, experts are recommending to stop drinking at least 3 hours before going to bed.

Your bedroom is too warm

Everyone loves to sleep in a warm bed. Especially if your partner has cold feet. But sleeping in a warm bed is actually not good for our sleep quality; a cold bed is. The National Sleep Foundation recommends keeping the temperature between 15°-20° C.

A big meal before going to bed

We have all done this; we go out to dinner with friends and eat more than our stomachs can handle. And why shouldn’t we? But then you go home, lie down ready to sleep, and feel like you have a rock in your stomach. A few quick home remedies could be drinking a cup of tea, or going for a short walk to help aid digestion.

Intense workout in the evening

Studies have shown that intense workouts before bed can interfere with sleep. Of course everyone is different, but experts recommend finishing your workout 2-3 hours before going to sleep.